1+ hour, 33+ min ago (230+ words) Heap your plate and hunker down. By Rachel Myerson | November 25, 2025 We made it! To soup season, bowl food season, snow season, the season to be jolly, etc., etc. December is all about hunkering down with hearty dinners, indulging in rich desserts and " of course " celebrating Hanukkah with festive fried food. So put on your stretchy pants and knitted sweater (or Hanukkah pyjamas!), curl up in your favorite armchair and feast your eyes on these seven cozy Jewish dinners. From a grandmother-approved chicken paprikash recipe to beloved Syrian cherry meatballs; a rustic Balkan vegetable stew that keeps for days in the fridge to a decadent eggnog challah bread budding, there's something here for everyone. And, on that note: Please rate any recipes that you try. It helps to grow our community and we love to hear from you! A simple take…...

14+ hour, 59+ min ago (330+ words) Her peaceful reign upends many assumptions about power, piety and what Jewish leadership should look like." Once upon a time, a Jewish queen reigned over the Kingdom of Judea. Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra and she reigned from 76 to 67 BCE " a relatively short period, but long enough to bring stability and prosperity to a land exhausted by war and internal unrest. Like many Jews today, she had two names: one Hebrew (Shelamzion, meaning "Peace of Zion) and one Greek (Alexandra)." Surprisingly, rabbinic literature remembers Shelamzion not as a transgressor, but as a paragon of virtue. One midrash recalls that the rains fell heavily" in the days of Queen Shelamzion, an indication that under her leadership, the people kept God's commandments and were rewarded with peace and plenty of rain." "Shelamzion's story broadens our sense of what Jewish leadership can look…...

16+ hour, 48+ min ago (190+ words) This sweet dish was originally made by Sephardic Jews. By Rhea Yablon Kennedy | November 24, 2025 Soon after they arrived at Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims adjusted the recipe once again. The dish soon included such New Englander ingredients as white beans and pork. In the Boston area, molasses flowed because of the rum industry. This may explain how the dark sugar cane product became the main sweetener on the standard ingredient list. Here is a version of baked beans that evolves the dish a bit further, using all'pareve'ingredients and bringing back honey. Instead of animal fat, the richness comes from olive oil. This is probably what the Sephardic Jews used in the dish's very first incarnation. Try this at your next barbecue or picnic, or as a side dish for'Shabbat'lunch. Note: For best flavor, eat the next day. This sweet side can…...

16+ hour, 58+ min ago (246+ words) A traditional recipe for the end of a fast. By Elisheva Margulies | November 24, 2025 The long-awaited meal to break the fast after'Yom Kippur'is often spent with friends and family. After a day filled with'prayer'and abstinence, your break fast meal should be prepared and ready to heat and eat; this is not a time to spend hours in the kitchen. It is traditional in Ashkenazic communities to break the fast with a dairy or'pareve'meal, while'Sephardic'communities often break the fast with a small dairy snack and then later partake of a full meat meal. Both traditions include sweet food, such as honey or jams, reminiscent of the sweetness of life and the New Year. The break fast meal also often includes eggs, a symbol of life and rebirth. The three dishes in this break fast menu combine these traditions, and can all be…...

17+ hour, 2+ min ago (197+ words) A biblical treat for summer afternoons. By Rivka Friedman | November 24, 2025 Probably because they grow in the land of the Bible, dates play an important role in Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine. They're added whole to meat and vegetable stews, and reduced into a rich, molasses-like syrup (called silan) that's used in place of honey to sweeten many desserts. Unlike most fruits, dates are best when they've been dried. Fresh dates, with their crunchy texture and somewhat diluted flavor, are an acquired taste. However, when dried, the flavor becomes concentrated, the flesh softens and the date takes on a lusciousness that is downright irresistible. There are many different varieties of dates, but the crown jewel among them is the Medjool. Medjool dates are larger than other varieties, and darker in color. They have the sweetest flavor and a distinctly chewy, sticky…...

17+ hour, 10+ min ago (91+ words) Beans are symbolic on Rosh Hashanah because their Talmudic name sounds like the Hebrew "to increase." By Leah Koenig | November 24, 2025 Beans, mentioned in the'Talmud as'ruviah,are symbolic on'Rosh Hashanah because their Talmudic name sounds like the Hebrew to increase, and therefore indicates a desire for increased blessings in the new year. This symbolic Rosh Hashanah side is easy and delicious.' A hearty lentil soup also known as addes. A schmaltz-free version of the Jewish classic cure-all. Israeli Recipes and Food The ultimate comfort food....

17+ hour, 17+ min ago (95+ words) A year-round favorite reimagined for Passover. By Adeena Sussman | November 24, 2025 Note: This recipe constitutes'gebrochts, the'Yiddish'word for "broken" which refers to matzah products that have come into contact with liquid. Some'Ashkenazi'Jews do not eat gebrochts on Passover, believing that liquid causes the matzah to rise, rendering it unfit for Passover consumption. This vegetarian lasagna is going to be your new year-round favorite reimagined for Passover. A schmaltz-free version of the Jewish classic cure-all. Israeli Recipes and Food The ultimate comfort food. With some chocolate and nuts, if you like....

17+ hour, 23+ min ago (188+ words) Made with Italian plums, this cake is a wonderful German-Jewish tradition. By Avigail Hurvitz-Prinz | November 24, 2025 For plumkuchen, I like to use "Italian plums" also known as "prune plums" that ripen at the very end of summer and the beginning of fall. Italian plums are slightly smaller than the ones that you might be accustomed to, but any plum will do. If you use bigger plums, you may want to cut them into quarters. The ones that bake best are slightly under-ripe. In my family, this cake must be served with plain yogurt (for breakfast) or whipped cream (for dessert). Note: The plums introduce moisture to the cake, so it keeps well for up to three or four days. It can be made ahead to eat on'Shabbat'afternoon after a dairy lunch. Plumkuchen is a plum cake of German-Jewish origin and is…...

17+ hour, 25+ min ago (132+ words) A hearty lentil soup also known as addes. By Jennifer Abadi | November 24, 2025 Note: You can store this'soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or the freezer for one month. When ready to reheat you may need to add a little water and adjust seasonings as soup will thicken and absorb flavors over time. Addes is a hearty soup just perfect for the cold weather months. Soup may be stored in refrigerator up to three days. When ready to reheat you may need to add a little water and adjust seasonings as soup will thicken and absorb flavors over time. With some chocolate and nuts, if you like. Because there's nothing more comforting than a bowl full of food. Spice up your life....

17+ hour, 27+ min ago (111+ words) By Leah Koenig | November 24, 2025 Chicken soup is so central to Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that vegetarians have developed meat-free approximations of the classic. A generous amount of olive oil provides the glistening golden broth typically provided by the chicken skin, while dried onion powder adds savory depth. Serve this soup with noodles, rice or matzah balls. Reprinted with permission from'The Jewish Cookbook" by Leah Koenig (Phaidon, 2019) This vegetarian chicken soup is a schmaltz-free version of the Jewish classic cure-all. Because there's nothing more comforting than a bowl full of food. Spice up your life. Israeli Recipes and Food Minimal time, minimal dishes, maximal flavor....